February Tasks for the Eager PNW Gardener
- catmeregardens
- Feb 2, 2024
- 3 min read
Spring seems far off for so many, but some of us are seeing these warmer winter days and already dreaming of gardens teeming with fruits and veggies. We spring dreamers have perused our seed catalogs, planned our layouts, ordered our seeds, made sure our bulbs are tucked in tightly with mulch and are keeping an eye on our fruit trees for winter damage. That was last month…
This month is the time to focus on preparation. Winter is the time to do all those maintenance tasks that ensure your equipment is working great come spring. Have you sharpened your tools lately? No? That can make digging such a dull experience! 😊 Your bypass hand clippers that helped you fight back the creeping and bounding blackberry vines need a little love, too. Sharpen them for a fighting chance. Replace all those handles that need fixing and make sure you have all the tools you need to do the job. My favorite tool is a handheld dirt axe and frequent use means a lot of wear, so maintenance is key.
So that you can find what you need when you need it you should organize your tools and storage. Planning your storage can be just as important as your garden layout.
Another important task is training your grape vines, pruning your berry bushes, and smothering those weeds. Raspberries only grow on 2nd year canes so don’t trim back too far or you’ll impact berry production. For blueberry bushes, you’ll trim small branches that cross over and touch other branches. The idea is to shape the bush into what size you need for your space. Touch up your bed with more mulch and trim back your wandering grape vines.
If you have peach trees you might consider doing a leaf curl treatment on a day that reaches at least 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Our wet weather means more frequent treatments for this persistent problem, and you’ll want to treat your peach or nectarine trees at least one additional time before they bud.
Towards the end of this month and at the beginning of March you’ll want to start your brassicas (broccoli, cauliflower, kohlrabi, brussels sprouts, and cabbage) INDOORS. This will help you get a start on your garden when it comes time for outside planting. Starting seeds indoors requires good lighting, good dirt, and careful watering. Mold and insects can destroy your seedlings and poor lighting makes them spindly (long and thin).
And always focus on your dirt! You’ll hear a lot about dirt from me because it’s your foundation and this is a good time to put natural fertilizers like AGED chicken manure into your soil. The fertilizer should be turned (take a shovel and flip it) into the soil and in cases where you use fresh manure, it is always good to wait a minimum of three months to plant in it or to age the manure in a compost heap for at least three months before application. There are bagged aged manure products available but, this can be quite expensive over large areas. If you raise rabbits or chickens, you are hopefully using their waste in a compost bin to make your dirt. This means you have a ready supply on hand. Another source of manure is local farmers who are usually happy to be rid of their daily growing supply of fertilizers. Bottom line: A good application of healthy mulches and fertilizers will have your garden ready for spring.
Lastly, make sure you have all your cold frames built for upcoming early outdoor planting. This will save your hard work from being burned by the frost.
Hope you enjoyed the read!
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